Finally!! Is that what you are thinking? Its ok. You can admit it. We are all friends here.
Do you remember this little thing?
Well it turns out some of you daring bakers want to make this Surprise Inside Cake yourselves. Yeah you! I cant wait to see and read all about it… send me links girls! (and boys… if there are any boys)
Well. In order for me to do a tutorial I had to make another one. So, forgive the less then stellar decorations, but here is our ‘tutorial’ heart cake.
But you didnt come to see the outside right?
Here goes.
Start out by making four eight inch pans of white cake. (If you want the actual recipe, just click here)
Make one 9×13 (you can do whatever shape and size you want) pan of red velvet cake. (recipe here)
First I need to level each cake.
I use this handy dandy leveling cake thingy I got at Walmart for a few bucks.
Remember to do this for all four white cakes.
Add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup frosting and then put one layer on top. You want two separate two layer cakes at this point.
For the red velvet cake I just ran my fork through it to break it up. Then I added about a cup of frosting and combined well.
NOW! I usually like to freeze the cakes for at least a couple hours. If you cant freeze them, at least try and pop them in the fridge for a bit!
I know this looks pretty weird (maybe cause it is) but this is what I am going to use to make sure I have some uniformity in the heart design. Its just two toothpicks and a piece of twine.
Place one toothpick in the center of the cake, then (holding firmly) drag the outside toothpick around the cake and make a circle.
Like this! Now I have a rough guide line of where I am going to being carving. Do this to both cakes. (or, if you are a good drawer, just take a knife and cut a shallow line around the perimeter.)
Carve out a V shape in the cake.
The top half of the heart is a little trickier. This time, I started with my knife in the center of the cake and created this little island.
I then moved back out to my “guide line” and started cutting. I ended up creating this channel. Once this has been created, you can go back in a do some more carving to create more detail.
Here is after I went in with a spoon and carved out a bit more.
The two cakes carved out. The hard part is pretty much done now!
Now I can start filling in the cakes with the red velvet cake.
All filled! At this point I put it in my freezer for about 15 minutes. Just to let them set.
I added some frosting the the edge of the bottom cake. Make sure you know which is which! You are going to want to add the cake with the hallowed out ‘channel’ to the top of the V cake.
Here goes nothin! I have found the easiest way to do this is to just use your hand. Place it flat over the top of the ‘channel’ cake and flip it over. Then gently place it one the bottom cake.
Add some more frosting and do a rough crumb coat over the whole cake.
And here is our thin layer of icing for the crumb coat. Put this in the fridge about at least a half hour, or as long as overnight.
Now. Go eat an apple. Seriously. Cause if you are anything like me you have been snacking on the cake scraps this whole time and you need a healthy energy boost.
There. Feel better? Lets get back to work.
I ended up using all my red velvet cake so I didnt have any left over for decoration. So white it is!
Ready to see what all this work was for?
I thought it turned out pretty good! Granted, this is my third time making it in a month so I had better be able to at least make it presentable by now. 
And it tastes as good as it looks! (I might be biased)
So I hope you are brave enough to try a heart cake for your loved one this Valentines Day. Be sure to let me know how it works out.. and take lots and lots of pictures!
Recipes:
Red Velvet Cake
For the red velvet cake I messed around with a recipe from Magnolia Bakery.
*This is how I modified this recipe: I used 2 sticks of butter, 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of food color, and apple cider vinegar. I wanted a more dense cake because I knew I was using it in the center of the heart cake and I needed to make sure it was sturdy enough.
3 1/3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.
To make the cake:
In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.
In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
*****
*I used only all-purpose flour and then added 1 tsp baking powder. I am going to play around with this a bit more next time and maybe even add some baking soda. I found this recipe on Food Network.
White Cake
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into cake pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (for round cake), or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
*****
And I am loving Magnolia’s Vanilla Buttercream frosting.
*My only modification to the recipe is I like to add a little almond extract, and it seems that 1 tsp. is the perfect amount! And be sure to use CLEAR vanilla extract to get a white frosting.
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*
-
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
-
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
-
1/2 cup milk
-
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Oh my goodness! You.Did.Not.Just.Do.This!!! YOU ROCK! I had given up thinking about this cake this year, after I lost about 3 hours of sleep trying to figure out how to make it the other night…I thought I’d have to wait until next year! Oh I could just squeal…I might’ve just done that, but I’ll never tell…I can’t wait to try this! (((HUGS!!))) Did I say You Rock yet…I did didn’t I…well, just so ya know!;)
You are one great teacher! The apple instruction cracked me up, as if you have a window into my kitchen!
I would love to try this…someday! I’m building the courage!
Amazing!
Fantastic!
lol, how did you know I’d be snacking on scraps the whole time?
Super tutorial, and the cake is adorable!
Wow!!! That doesn’t even begin to cover it. And thank you for doing this – three times would make me crazy, and not to mention the expense. So – thank you!
I never, ever would’ve thought to do it this way. I’m a but slow that way! Can’t wait to try this next week. Thank you!!!
Holy yum! This is so not good for my dieting. I want cake so bad now I can’t stand it!
I can see there is going to be cake for Valentine’s Day. Love your creativity, Amanda!
Have a wonderful day,
Wendy
That is so awesome! I think I may try this for my daughters birthday next week! Thanks for sharing this with us!!
Love it. I can’t even begin to think of how I’d have the energy and ambition to MAKE it but I sure do love looking at it.
Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about this!!!
FABULOUS!!! Fantastic tutorial!!…….I bet it tastes amazing too!!
Oh soooooo awesome! I’m completely inspired to try this now!! Thank youuuu for an easy to follow tutorial!
BRILLIANT!!!!!
This was brilliant!!! It was impressive results so it was worth the effort!!! -Tien
Girl, you come up with the most brilliant ideas! It might take me 10 years to work up the desire to actually make it myself, but I really enjoyed the tutorial and the pictures. I hope to use it some day.
P.S. Are those homemade bake-even strips around your pans and if so, what material are they? They work really well–much better than the ones I bought. And it doesn’t look as though you did but I thought I’d ask if you freeze your cakes before carving.
Just brilliant! This STILL just boggles my mind! A. How did you come up with that idea? B. Are you an engineer?
Even with the instructions, I know I couldn’t do it.
Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe. This heart cake is genius idea. To come up with something like this, you really have to think 3D. I bet your heart was beating like hell when you did the first cut after finishing the cake, haha.
My favorite part of this entire tutorial is the ‘compass’ you made with the toothpicks and string. Genius. Truly genius.
you are A-MAZING!!! it turned out beautiful and looks scrumptious!!!
Oh my god that is the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen. I love hearts.
Umm.. would you get a restraining order if I said that I was in love with you?! Because I might be.
My daughter’s birthday is Valentine’s Day. You just made my whole month with this tutorial! Not to mention the oreo goodies you made… this is amazing and I am making the cake for her birthday party next Sunday!
Thank you!
Wow- amazing! I’ll see if I can build up some confidence to give that a try! Wow!
Wow, this is such a cute idea! Just discovered your blog today, I loved looking at all your creative ideas for cake & cookie decorating!
SO AWESOME!! I’d have never figured out how you did that one!
The idea is simply great!!! Thank you for your effort (I linked this post for my readers on my blog!).
This intimidates the world out of me, but I am tempted to try it for V-day
I am so thankful you are so detailed in your tutorials!
I know I say this a lot but You are so talented!
I love this cake even more decorated pure white. So pretty.
I’m still waiting for a cake with two people holding hands inside. You know you want to do it.
And I want to know if you use bake even strips or whatever they’re called. When take my cakes out of the oven they have a hard crusty rim on one side only and they are lopsided. Which doesn’t matter so much when I flip them and match the lopsided parts together to make one cake. But I want pure flatness like yours.
Oh for the love of pete just come live with me so you can bake for me forevah.
YOU. ARE. SO. AWESOME!!!! Thanks for posting this very-easy-to-follow tutorial. I’m not the creative type, but I may try this out one day. Who knows?
Soo impressive!!! And thanks for sharing step by step instructions!!!!
i’d say you’ve reached master heart-cake-maker status now–it looks perfect. thanks for the step-by-step–it’ll be good to have if i ever feel truly ambitious and romantic at the same time.
and that toothpick tool is awesome!
i love this! your blog is wonderful!
Wow. That is spectacular.
This cake is the cutest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. thanks for the tutorial — I think I’m going to have to try this some time.
We did it!!! I posted pix on my blog, come check it out- http://holly-nowmorethanever.blogspot.com/
Oh, honest to Pete! You are one talented lady.
Amazing. I wish I could do this…oh, i know I could give it the old college shot, but I’d send myself to the loony bin if I tried.
And, if I completed it…I’d never let anyone touch it…you know, hard work and all…
Awesome!!!!
Thank you! Now I have to add this to my ever-growing baking to-do list, LOL! I feel nervous about doing this – like I won’t be able to carve it well at all, but I will TRY! I think. LOL. I was wondering if you have tried this type of thing on mini cakes?
LOVE IT! You explained it so well that even I (a very clumsy non-baker) may actually be able to make this! I am EXCITED! My family will love it!
LOVE.THIS. So adorable and unexpected! Well done!
This is extremely awesome!
I really want to try it!
o.m.g. I’m totally trying this. GREAT idea and amazing tutorial! : )
Wow! What a great idea, and love the picture tutorial!
Wow! this amazing thank you so much for the tutorial and specially for the ingredients,i will try this soon.
vee
wow that is really impressive.
I am going to have to try that at home. I added your post to my list of valentines tips
Absolutely beautiful.
THE BEST Valentine’s Day Cake EEEEVVVERRRRRRrrrrr!
Wow.
xo
I am in awe of your cake-making abilities!
I’m so tempted to try this now!!! It’s amazing
Gorgeous. Gorgeous. Gorgeous.
I’m speechless. And now I’m wishing I had a bit more time to plan a V-day feast. Cuz I’d totally tackle this cake.
I have made my best attempt at this beautiful cake, I haven’t cut into yet so I don’t know what it looks like but I wanted to ask, is it supposed to be super super heavy? I tried not to use too much frosting, but mine weighs a TON? Think I did something wrong?
i had a go and it did take me a few hours as i had to run out and get more sugar!!! this is my result. not as impressive as yours obviously.
http://hackface.wordpress.com/2010/02/13/i-am-mommybaker-heart-cake/
also how do you get your frosting so smooth?
Maybe someday I will give this a try. It is soooo very sweet. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and talent with us.
I’ve done a number of rainbow cakes for friends, but this is a whole new game. I absolutely have to try it! Thank you for such wonderful directions. This is beyond beautiful. And as a side note, I’m also desperately in love with all your beautiful sugar cookies.
I did it!! I made your beautiful cake for V-day, and my family was over the top impressed! Thank you for the tutorial!
far out- this cake is AMAZING!
i love all of your creations especially that butterfly dotted cookie its beautiful
so great im going to link u, hope ud ont mind
Thanks for making this cake! I was so happy I found it and was even more glad to share it!
Great blog!
My mind = blown.
Bookmarking this for next year, in case I’m feeling adventurous!
This is a great post…I`m bookmarking this already.
I stumbled this one!!! Super cute!
Beautifully and apparently tasty. Thank you.
Super cute. It will be posted tomorrow!
Just brilliant! This STILL just boggles my mind! A. How did you come up with that idea? B. Are you an engineer?
Even with the instructions, I know I couldn’t do it.
Do you have a suggestion for substitution for the inner cake? I’m allergic to chocolate, so I can’t do red velvet. Will it hold up without the cocoa? Is it possible to use white cake and dye it?
This is amazing! I cannot wait to try this out.
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I prefer the chocolate cake because you can eat it with coffee or milk and the flavor is better than the other one. the ingredients are simple so the preparation is really fast.
I prefer the chocolate cake
I prefer the chocolate cake
I prefer the chocolate cake
thanks for this idea!!
Your tutorial is really a great idea. But instead of ironing the label to twill tape I just cut them apart and iron them to my sewing project, saves time and sewing and it still looks the same.
Thanks!
What a great idea you made! You have such a artistic mind for making this kind of cake. I would really love to bake this up for a coming family get together. I can imagine how would they react as soon as I cut up the cake and they see the heart inside! This would really go well with a hot cup of coffee made from one of my filter coffee machines Kudos!
I’m speechless. And now I’m wishing I had a bit more time to plan a V-day feast. Cuz I’d totally tackle this cake.
Really It’s Awesome….
I like it very much!
What a color combination…. Fantastic…
Just stumbled upon this – it’s fantastic!
I’m bookmarking this – what a fantastic idea. Great tutorial!!!
ButterYum
I bought an Amstron replacement battery for my Dell Inspiron 5150 and it takes three days to charge. Is this typical of new laptop batteries? Do off-brand batteries not work well with Dells? What should I do?
Hey I just want to eat it! Really it’s fantastic….
Thanks for sharing it.
I really like. I cant wait to eat it………
Such a fabulously fun idea – thanks for sharing!
I want taste this heart cake.
This cake is the cutest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. thanks for the tutorial
Thank you so much for this tutorial! Red velvet is my husband’s favorite, so he LOVED the heart surprise in the middle when he cut into his birthday cake last week
Health is the best treasure (which) a man can possess. Money can do many things, but it cannot buy happiness. However, so long as man has good health, he can enjoy the pleasures of human life.
When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it. That is the secret to success.
There is currently quite a lot of information around this subject on the net and some are most defintely better than others.
added pureed raspberries, butter cream frosting (as you instructed) & a touch of red food coloring for the center heart.
Such a fabulously fun idea – thanks for sharing!
Health is the best treasure (which) a man can possess.
Wow, this is really cool. Just imagine the attention that you will get when you have those things around with you. Both are really awesome combination if you were to ask me.
I don’t think you really read your comments on old posts …ever. That’s sad, because making people feel involved in a blog is what helps entice people to keep coming back.
So, I guess this comment is more for people who are looking to make the frosting. This is linked for the buttercream recipe specifically under “recipes” on this sight, so I grabbed the buttercream recipe off of here for a different cake. That was a mistake. Maybe it’s because it’s so humid here, but the 1/2 cup of milk listed for the buttercream was WAY too much. I couldn’t get it to the right consistency at all. I had to use a different recipe that I found in order to be able to finish my cake. When you’ve spent hours working on a cake, it’s a bit frustrating.
I do read every comment Catherine… sounds like you were right on in your deduction, the humidity has played a huge factor in baking for me all year. I have modified many recipes these last few months that I have never had to alter before. I would have been happy to share that with you. Also, if you felt that consistency was too runny, adding a bit more sugar can help.
Hope you find a recipe that works the best for you!
Be blessed-
Amanda
Whoops. My sincere apologies. I was completely wrong, then; I’m sorry.
I did end up finding a recipe that worked. I have the spare from it sitting next to a container of this buttercream bound for cupcakes tomorrow. This recipe still tastes delicious, so it’ll work for that quite nicely.
Wow! I love this… and I can’t believe how simple it is! Very awesome, I will be trying this SOON!
HI Amanda,
I’m just starting out decorating cakes this year. And just very recent started selling my cakes. But I must confess I use…. (it hurts to say it) boxed cake. I know, I know it’s horrible. But just recently a friend asked me if I wanted her to get the word out on my cakes. Even though I tell my very few customers it’s boxed I don’t feel right calling it my own. So I’m taking the plunged to try a bake from scratch! I feel that using your recipes I could try my very best. I have the decorating down, but now it’s time for the baking. Wish me luck!
Is there any advice you could give me? Check out my blog @ http://imaginationcakes.blogspot.com
Again a BIG thank you,
Jennie
This is the most coolest and lovely recipe I ever saw. You’re really incredible and one of a kind!
Hello, thank you for such a wonderful post. Written very informative. I have read with great pleasure. Good luck!
My boyfriend did this and it came out looking pretty great. I didn’t know he could cook!
Oooh I love you so!
I’d seen a photograph of the finished cake in a tumbleblog
and was crazy trying to figure out how to make that lovelyness myself.
I want to bake it for my brother’s birthday to show him all of my love.
Seriously, thanks a lot.
Flora.
Spreading the LOVE
Is the frosting enough for the whole recipe or we have to double it?
And the cake recipe is for the four layers or for one? Thank you!
I love this! I have to try it.
Thank you soo much for posting it.
Love it!! I love your site, every time I come on here I am so inspired. Thank you!
This is absolutely beautiful! Wow!!!
I made this last night and you’re instructions were great! Except I accidentally made my heart upside down ..whoops haha! I blogged about it today, thanks so much for such a fun tutorial! xoxo
So now for the challenge of a Butterfly inside… My daughter wants one for her birthday with pink and purple wings…
Wow!! This is absolutly incredible!!! you’re an artist!
I would like to know how to do this!
http://loquetedecia.wordpress.com
wow! it seems difficut… but it’s amazing!
Wow, it’s beautiful!
Susan
Qué buena pinta!!
Con tus explicaciones parece sencillo, aunque… Si me decido cuelgo las fotos.
That. Is. Awesome. – You. Are. Amazing. – I. Am. Gobsmacked.
WOW
Cheers,
Lisa x
I love this cake! I am totally making it for Valentine’s Day this year. Found you via Bluebird Notes. I showed off your amazing cake on my blog. Hope you stop by and check it out-http://scrapsnscribs.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentines-goodies-from-blogland.html
Well dadgum! This is awesome. I have to try this also. Our 42nd anniversary is a few days prior to Valentine’s Day, so I hope I can pull this off. THANK YOU – Jan
That is gorgeous! And, I want to give it a try .. when you say put the cake that is hollowed out on top that would be the one without the island?? Your cake looks amazing! XO!
Impressive!
I LOVE this! What a great idea, you’re amazing!
Just featured you over at our blog- http://www.simply-chic-parties.com
this is amazing! Most Creative idea I have seen for a long time! I heart your Masterpiece!
Amazing! It looks so moist and delicious, too!
GENIUS!!! i saw this image floating around the blogosphere for a while and was stumped. eventually i just told myself it was photoshopped because i couldn’t for the life of me figure out how it was done. THANKS for the tutorial! i will definitely try this so i can impress others
This is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing!!
I’m with everyone else – WOW!!!!!!
http://www.happyfamilytravels.wordpress.com
Beautiful!!! I love it!!!
oh, man! i tried this cake today… i wasn’t prepared for the challenge!
http://delightfullydowling.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentine-cake.html
Amanda the Amazing!! Beautiful cake!
Your cake is incredible!
I just linked to this ADORABLE cake and your tutorial on my blog. What a beautiful, original idea! Thank you for sharing it with us!
http://cometogethercards.blogspot.com/2011/01/adorable-valentine-ideas.html
OH MY GOD!!!
A thing of beauty!!
I soooo want to make this!
OMG! So AMAZING! Love it!
I did a post on this on my blog and love it! I’m so glad I found your blog (which I did through swissmiss, today) because I ADORE it!
Thanks for the great tutorial!
cutest thing in the whole world. so excited to have found your blog. xo.
This is darling!!! I KNOW myself well enough to know attempting to make this cake would drive me to the brink of insanity so instead I will just envy your talent and this adorable little cake!
it`s so wonderfull <3
This is awesome!!
Oh wow! That’s a labour of love!
This is seriously amazing! Love it! I blogged your mad baking skills http://6lalas.blogspot.com/2011/02/heart-cake.html
WOW! More amazing ideas. Love it! Going to try it, fingers crossed
Uh Seriously….this is amazing…….seriously sitting here with my jaw open.
This is a showstopper of a cake…seriously…the BEST V-Day cake I’ve ever seen!! Truly amazed by your creativity
I love it, what a great idea!! You make it to doable… not too scary!
AMAZING IDEA!!!!
I have to try this one;)
Thank you for sharing!
Lovely greetings…
http://pudel-design.blogspot.com/
Love this! How fun.
The cake looks delicious! The heart shape is so cute. Great tutorial.
Oh my gosh…. So cute!
This may be the best cake I have ever seen. I’m super impressed
OH WOW!! i want to make this too!
P.S. I like the all white cake better because it gives you more of a surprise. Surprise!
amazing I would love to bake this lovely cake someday in my live for my be loved people <3
That is amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
You are seriously brilliant!
This might just be the coolest thing I have EVER seen…
Hi! Amazing job! Amazing cake! I love it and I’m planning on making it this week. One question though, in the instructions (under the photo with the mashed up red velvet cake) you say, “I just ran my fork through it to break it up. Then I added about a cup of frosting and combined well.” I’m not too clear on that part. Do I mix a cup of white butter cream frosting into the mashed up red velvet cake? How does that work exactly?
AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a cool idea you have!!!!
This is adorable & actually simpler than I though it was going to be! Thank you for the tutorial
I saw this in Craft Magazine & though I’d stop by to check it out, thanks again, it’s wonderful!
Awesome..no way I could do that with out messing up one of the halves..thanks for sharing!
LOVE THIS!!!! I’ll be trying this out later this week! =)
Thanks for sharing, you rock!!!
I am in love with this cake. I truly want to try it this year for V-day. I am so excited to try it. Thanks for all your hard work.
How in the world did you figure that one out? Love it!
How in the world did you figure that out? Love it!
Wow oh wow!! Found you through Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone and am hooked! Thanks for sharing, I’m putting this on my to-do list, and here I thought making homemade chocolate covered pretzels was going to cut it this year. Thanks for showing me up
*Amy
Adorable!
How do you frost your cakes so smoothly?? The top of the cake is FLAWLESS
This may be the most amazing cake I have ever seen! Hats off to you – VERY impressive!!!
One of the loveliest cake!
I loved this cake when I first saw it. I made two this past weekend and have posted the details of how it went. I hope you think I did a pretty good job. I think I have inspired alot of my readers to try it. It really wasn’t that hard.
http://www.southernsprout.com/inspiration/heart-cake/
Do you have any use for the cut out white cake? I would love to try this but it seems like such a shame to waste so much good cake.
i’m planning to make this cake this week and i’m excited and scared at the same time. I was wondering what frosting/ color frosting did you use for the red velvet crumbs? thank you! you are amazing!
this is just amazing!!
Hello
Great website
I have a question, I am in Europe and we have only 18cm, 24cm and 26cm baking pans, so it corresponds to 7 inch, 9.5 inch and 10 inch. You said to use 9 x 2-inch round cake pans for the white cake, is it OK if I use the 7inch (18cm) one? Would it be harder to cut the hearth out or easier?
Thanks,
Sara
Que lindo!!! Amei… vou tentar fazer com certeza!
Fantastic! Thanks for the how-to!!
oh tomorrow i am buying the few items i need to make this cake.
one question. you said “I used only all-purpose flour and then added 1 tsp baking powder” for the white cake. was that using the one in place of using the two different kinds?
if all goes well, you’ll see pictures. thanks!!
Seriously, the coolest & cutest cake I’ve ever seen!!
Lovely creation!
Amazing. Thank you for the constant inspiration.
http://designinit.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-week-heart-cake-tutorial.html
Thank you soooo much for the idea, i love your surprised cakes n many others.
I made this cake for our 8th wedding anniversary n here are the pics: http://hk.myblog.yahoo.com/heart-soup/article?mid=2598
Thanks again n happy belated bday n sweet valentine’s day.
This is absolutely adorable and sounds scrumptious!! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
Great post! Love the inside
This is the best cake ever! A little challenging to make but so worth it. I’ll definitely do it again (probably not til nex year) to make mine as perfect as yours! Here’s my little try: http://www.maryrobinbobbin.com/2011/02/cake.html
I made it today!!! (church vday date night tonight) I can not WAIT to cut it open to see how it turned out. My only concern is that maybe I didn’t pack the red velvet in hard enough and that it will crumble and fall apart instad of looking cool. BUT hopefully it turned out! I also made a heart with royal frosting and put that atop
Hopefully it still turns out ok. Damn…..Cake making with 3 kids 4 and under I was bound to screw something up. 
Oh waaahhh. I just realized I forgot to mix the frosting in with the red velvet. DAMN IT!!!
At least the outside is pretty.
http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j98/nicoblue0220/SDC10893.jpg
Thanks so much for this awesome tutorial!! I made this cake yesterday and just shared photos on my blog:
http://howsweeteritis.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweeter-valentines-day.html
Looks amazing. Just attempted this. I was doubtful about the 4 eggs instead of egg whites but made it as directed. I have a yellow cake.
Will try again with egg whites. Thanks for the inspiration.
Well I did it!! I followed your great directions (except I used a strawberry for the heart instead of red velvet) and I think it came out very good for my first time. My friends were amazed. Everyone kept asking me where I got the mold to make the cake. When I told them there was no mold involved it was all carved and made by hand. They were really blown away after I told them that. If you’d like to see how my cake turned out check it out here.
http://www.southernsprout.com/inspiration/heart-cake/
Thanks for the great idea. I plan on making it again.
this is hard work, but it worth it !!! what a cake of LOVE !! terrific !!
Thank you so much for putting your time into this tutorial! I just finished doing one for the kids tomorrow! I can not wait to cut into it and surprise them! Thanks again!
I think I just saw your cake shown on the Martha Stewart show! Yay!!! You go girl!!
OMG! I love your heart cake! And the tutorial is awesome!
I had to share your tutorial today on my blog!
http://www.thesweetsbar.com/happy-valentines-day-heart-cake/
I have two girls and this year the eldest has requested a rainbow birthday cake.
I’m thinking that her younger sister would be beside herself with excitement if I made this sumptuous heart-filled version for her special day.
Thank you for sharing with such amazing detail!
Felicity x
Thanks for the tutorial. What a great idea. I made the cake this weekend and posted it to my blog http://frugalgourmetmom.blogspot.com/2011/02/heart-cake.html?spref=fb
i heart this, literally. it’s fabulous! thanks, can’t wait to share.
Ok so I’m totally going to try to make this for Chad and my anniversary next month! I hope I remember!!! LOL Although I think I’m going to have to reread the directions about 10 times. The rainbow cake I had no problem with, it’s just making sure I can do all of this adequately! When I do it, I’ll let you know and may make you send me your phone number finally so I can call you and make you explain to me as I freak out thinking I’m messing up! LOL
Thanks so much for the tutorial. I made one for my husband for valentines day and am going to make one for my parents’ 40th wedding anniversary too. Love it.
http://cottonkiwi.blogspot.com/2011/02/with-all-my-heart.html
Thanks again
Sarah
Cotton Kiwi
WOW -Amazing! Thanks for sharing!! Eva
Hello, I´read your whole blog in a few days, it is amazing!!!, I try my own version of the heart cake in a panqué (I am from Mexico, this is how we call this kind of cakes) Thank you very much for your inspiration and specially for sharing your knowledge.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mayahechoamano/5453316995/
Grettings from Mexico!!
I just made this cake. And it was awesome.
Did you submit this pic to Martha Stewart’s current contest? I saw this photo as an entry on her show two days ago.. Beautiful.
ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!! <3 it – teehee
As a novice baker, I appreciate your directions and photos for this hidden surprise cake. Thank you!
Oh, I made this and everyone loved it!
http://eileen-anne.blogspot.com/2011/02/handmade-heart-lips-cake.html
Thanks so much for the amazing tutorial and recipes. Definitely my favorite red velvet recipe ever.
How do you get the white frosting so white? When i make butter cream frosting it always has a slight yellowish tinge because of the butter and vanilla. Yours is just perfectly white!
Now this tutorial is seriously unbelievable. You are BRILLIANT and this is awesome. Not meaning to be redundant, but I heart this cake.
Wow, this is incredible! Thanks for the how to.
ah!!! a surprise heart!!! i’m gonna make it!!!
My friend and I made this cake last week for another friend’s bridal shower. It wasn’t nearly as pretty as yours, but it sure was a hit! =) Thanks for the detailed instructions….they were great!
This is so beautiful, love it!
cool….
so inspiratif…
love this one….^_^
What a beautiful cake!
I made your heart cake for my aunt’s 91st birthday…and I’ve blogged about it here: http://ballinwithballing.blogspot.com/2011/03/heart-cake.html
It’s one of my first postings! Thanks for all the help!
Hi Amanda!
I luv your cakes!=}
Perfect!!
Kisses! Vinni (SP/Brasil:)
Really amazing efforts. The use of tooth pick is an outstanding idea. By seeing this I can surely say, cooking is an real art.
I love this tutorial – I actually made a Christmas Tree cake using this technique. Thank you so much
i was wondering if you could use simple syrup in place of the frosting to gel the red velvet crumbs together? no special reason. i just wonder what would be best?
Oh My God!!! I know you might have read this a million times but Oh My God!!! This is an amazing cake with amazing techniques!!!! YOU ARE MY NEW FAV BAKER!!!
Wow, this is a time-consuming cake! It was definitely a challenge! Next time I’m going to split it into two or three days instead of one. But it was so fun to cut into and see how it turned out. Here’s my result:
http://crafteroonie.blogspot.com/2011/02/heart-cake.html
WOW!!! this looks out of this world AMAZING!! not sure if i’ll ever try it.
Awesome! Love it
Truly amazing and your generosity astounds me. Thank you for sharing such a lovely idea.Fiona
This is a very good blog. I appreciate very much this text, thank you.
http://foodandmoneyblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/heart-cake-guest-baker.html – My friend Sara Guest Baked on my Blog and she made your cake quite lovingly.
This tutorial is amazing! I made this cake and I did all the carving at 5am, so I ended up not snacking on all the cake crumbs! Thanks for all the detailed pictures!
Great cake!! My neice made this for her mother. I was amazed and looked the receipe up. My question is how the cake was so white when the whole egg had been added.
What a fantastic idea! love it!!
Very Clever!
would the heart shape come out just as well if i used pink butter cream instead of the red velvet cake???
I was wondering if you knew what else you could use as the heart filling???
traduza para o portugues.Obrigada
I love your cake!!
Love this! And all your amazing cakes. I just used this tutorial and modified it very slightly to make a raindrop cake for my Little Raindrops site. I couldn’t have done it without you! Thanks for the tutorial! { http://littleraindrops.com/blog/2011/06/26/little-raindrops-surprise-cake-10-year-blogiversary/ }
This is absolutely adorable! I love it and want to try it immediately!
I love your website! Cakes are just amazing and inspiring! Thankyou!
I have just started up a foodie blog, and check it out as i have posted a recipe inspired by this tutorial:
http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/02/heart-cake-tutorial.html
Thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe/tutorial!
I did it for my girlfriends birthday and she was so pleased about it. I only had a few problems with the measures ’cause i’m from Germany and we do not have the US/GB ‘Cup’. I miscalculated the cocoa, so the heart became brown – but actually it looks good, anyway. So thanks a lot and greetings from Germany!
http://jean-nosh.tumblr.com/post/7727783730/my-heart-cake-recipes-and-tutorial-by-i-am
Sooooooo cute!
I love it, and will try soon, of course…
wow thats so superb but 8 ucps onfectioners sugar for butter cream?wont it be too much sweet?
Its really amazing honey…you made a heart is side the cake and it take my heart away .
I love this CAKE!
The only other thing this moment I feel definite about is that the stories we tell ourselves and share with ourselves are changing, radasdfically. I’ve been hesitant to dive in publicly, because sometimes – well, ofttimes, pioneers are ignored. Their travels can easily become travails.
I was inspired by your heart cake, but wasn’t sure I could do it (although I really want to for a friend’s birthday that is coming up). So I made heart cupcakes, so there would be lots of heart-making practice. That was a lot of hard work! but I’m kinda pleased with how they turned out
I posted pictures here: http://countyourblessingsinsteadofsheep.blogspot.com/2011/09/heart-cupcakes.html
This cake is trully beautiful! Thanks for the tutorial!
Ok, I have spent forever on your blog trying to figure out the ghost cake. Is this how you did it? This is fabulous! Very creative!
I’ve been wanting to bake this cake for a long time but never actually dared to do so. This week-end I finally was couragous enough to carve into my cake and put a heart into it thanks to you!! I didn’t use the same recipe though. Since I live in Switzerland, it’s sometimes rather difficult to find exactly the same ingredients as in the US. So I baked one of my very yummy and very simple white cakes for the main layout. And then I’ve filled the heart with this same cake but mashed with cocoa powder and icing. This was veeery good. I still have to work on my icing (it was not creamy at all).
Anyway, thank you so much for the idea and the tutorial!! I would never have thought to put a heart in a cake on my own!! I love your blog you have wonderful ideas =)
Here is the link with the pictures of my heart cake, if ever you have the time to check them out. Of course I’ve put 2 links to your blog and I refer to your tutorial all the time. Sorry the article is in french. http://meandmyfood101.blogspot.com/2011/10/heart-cake.html
dear pretty baker..
your cakes are always amazingly cute and fill with fresh ideas… maybe u could also help me with one thing i’ve been searching for..
i wonder if u know how to make panda roll cakes or heart shapes one like one that i’ve found here : http://www.luuux.com/food/heart-sponge-cake-roll
i’ve been searching and searching but couldn’t find the tutorials.. until i saw your heart cake..
really hoping that u can help me.
thank u …
I got a hint from a friend that if you use the clear vanilla flavoring for coffee/cappuccino that it works just as well and it is cheaper than buying the the extract in the decorating aisle. Love this idea and will definately try it!
AMAZING !! and I love magnolia
Have a look at my blog and you will know why 
nyc is my love
love your blog, I’m your new follower
Hey! I stumbled upon this blog in search of the heart cake and I’m so glad I came here!
How did you get your cake so white/bleached? Even though I used only egg whites it still turned out really yellow ): Is it because of the butter? Could I replace it with shortening then? Please email me if you can, thank you!!
Wow.. That is so awesome. Thank you for sharing this.
I couldn’t wait to give this a try, thank you for the great tutorial and sharing! Here is a link to mine. White cake is not very popular here in Wales, UK so I put my twist on it!
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=356148537732463&set=pu.196075557073096&type=1&theater
I am going to make this cake tonight, but can you tell me how far down to start to cut for the top part with the thing in the middle and also about how high you need to make that middle peice on the top cake?
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I have added your post to my dutch blog.
Kind regards,
Brigitte
Your cake is amazing! We attempted to make it but we faced a few problems… next time will probably be better! Have a look. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150552598777558&set=a.10150542558332558.406286.502197557&type=1&theater
This is ingenious!
This is an awesome idea!! I’ve seen it on the photo before and wondered how to do this.
Thanks for the show and tell!
All I can say is “AWESOME”. I don’t know if I have the nerve to even try.
I love baking. I am always looking for something new to try. I was very excited when I found this! Here’s a link to my cake, it turned out fabulous!! Thanks so much!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katharris/
Hiya. Love this cute cake! I found it when researching Valentine’s cakes on Pinterest for a blog post and I’ve included it in my round up of sweet Valentine’s treats! Come check it out http://www.spongedrop.blogspot.com/2012/02/little-sweetness.html Danielle
This is so wonderful, I love it! I’m not entirely sure I’m brave enough to try it out, though…
I found you through Amy (Living Locurto) and I am now going to pin this – crediting you as the source! x
http://hapkata.blogspot.com/2012/02/blog-post.html
Hi, I’m from Bulgaria! I admire your work! Find out how to get a cake in my heart!
Wonderful tut! TFS!
I loved your cake so much I attempted to make to surprise my husband today… I was so excited about my cake, when he cut it inside is not as amazing as yours…
mine looks more like a lips… 
so not too bad 
thanks so much for sharing your amazing tutorials… love them all
I did it!! I am so proud! Thank you for the fabulous tutorial and all the photos. You rock!
hi, the cake is just a dream. Unfortunately, I’m from Germany, they could translate me the ingredients and production?
Lg Gianna gold
Hermosoooo <3
Awesome. Now if you can figure out a way to do a star of life in the middle of the cake…and do a tutorial for that, I’m sure all my EMS friends and I would die to try it!
(If you do, could you email me a picture or link to the blog? Thanks!)
Sure, how about you email me a picture of the best one and I will check it out!
I love your cake! I love getting inspiration from your ideas. I would LOVE to know how you made the royal cake. I have a vision for a future cake and I would love to modify the idea for my blog. You are amazing!
Hi Amanda,
Can I use Swiss Meringue butter cream instead? I never like the texture of confectioner’s sugar. Would it work too?
Hope to hear from you.
Tks,
Adelyn
Yes! You sure can.
Awesome!!!
Hi I’m German,
I’d really like to make this wonderful cake,
could anybody tell me the difference between
“Self-rising flour” and “all-purpose fluor” ?
Is it “Backpulver” und “normales Mehl”?
Lg
You so totally rock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are amazing and you totally rock the house!! Thanks!
Genial! genial! genial! me encanto!!
gracias!
I made this using 3 cake mixes, each fortefied with an extra egg and pudding mix. You really need a lot more red velvet cake than you think. One DH red velvet mix was barely enough to stuff the two sides. I found that gel coloring the icing used for the red velvet cake crumbs really helped keep the cake red. Also I think a better heart top shape could be carved after you to the basic channel using a round cookie cutter. I think it would make the top less angular. If I do it again I’d probably do that.
I just used this tutorial to make a gender reveal cake for a friends of mine. I made the center blue instead of red because she is having a boy. I’m going to have to I’ve had this wait until tomorrow to know if I did it right! I’ve had this tutorialtucked away and I’m glad I finally got to use it! Thanks.
I used this tutorial to make a gender reveal cake for a party I was throwing for a family friend! Thanks for providing it. The cake turned out lovely and every one was so impressed!
http://oneshinystar.com/?p=2226
Your blog is pure inspiration. I made this cake for my 8 year old daughter and after the first slice we were both so happy and excited since it came out perfectly!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!
I covered the cake with pink swiss meringue buttercream, it was my first attempt to ruffle decoration. It was easier than I thought, thanks again for sharing your wonderful creations.
Just wondering how you made your white cake and icing so white despite it containing butter… All the white cake recipes I have tried have yielded a colour like your stock standard butter cake.
Will your cake recipe be enough for all four, two or just the one? thanks for the idea! Ill definitly be doing this for my boyfriends birthday that is just around the corner
One question, why do you bake 4 white cakes and than cut the in half so you get 8 cakes. But if you lookat t at the cake it only has 4 layers. Cant you just bake 2 cakes and cut them in half? Or bake 4 cakes and dont cut them in half?
I didnt cut them in half, I used the full cake. Thanks!
Wow, this is amazing and something I would never have thought I could do until I read your tutorial. I seriously think I want to make this! The question I have is about the red velvet cake. You said you broke it up and then added frosting? So it’s not just cake crumbs I see, it’s cake and some frosting to make it sort of a tacky balll of joy? Or am I reading something wrong?
Yes, its like a cake ball consistency. Happy baking!
This cake is so cute. I love to bake and will defiently give this one a try, your step by step instructions are amazing. Thanks for the great ideas.
going to try this for either Valentine’s our my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. seen this on Pintrest and i feel in love. lolol, I’m so excited to make it
Lindo o bolo. Vou testar. Abraços
Beautiful. I would NEVER have the patience!!
I did it!!! Not as perfect as yours, but good for my first attempt! AND FUN!!! But my red velvet cake is darker…. not nearly as bright red!! Did you use the cocoa in the Magnolia red velvet recipe? Yours is beautiful! And you are an inspiration! Thank you! <3
I am primarily a performer, but I love to bake. Today I had a Valentine’s Day performance and decided to combine my two loves and create this cake for the reception afterwards. I was extremely worried I didn’t execute it well enough for it to look like a heart, but your tutorial is so well made, I shouldn’t have been worried at all! The cake worked beautifully and was perfect for the theme of the performance. Thanks for being so creative and sharing these ideas with us!
I finally made this cake!!!But its not as good as yours…hehehe…you are amazing!!!Thank you for this tutorial!!!Here is the pic of mine… http://instagram.com/p/WEPbLMLeHI/ …hahhaaha…it doesn’t even look like a heart!!!!hehehe…
How do you get the buttercream so white?? I use a clear vanilla extract. My frosting always comes out a little yellow/cream. Do you use a special butter?? By the way, I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!!!!
I did not understand how to make red velvet, some??
Hi.
My name is Denyse Hng and I love your website. Your creations are incredible! And the tutorials are amazingly useful.
I was wondering if I could reprint both this recipe as well as your buttercream recipe for my Food Tech portfolio as I will be making the heart cake for my Alice in Wonderland themed folio. (I am a student in Australia and the folio is part of my final year studies). I will include the links to the recipes and credit you in my bibliography.
Thank you!
Hi Denyse- What exactly is a Food Tech portfolio? I cant give permission for you to reprint the cake and recipes in an public format…
Instead of using the cake recipes that you give, you it still work if I use store bought cake mix? This is a really cool cake! I’m going to try to make it for my parents anniersary! How it goes well